It looked like the Knicks were finally in the clear. But they should have learned this lesson long ago.
There is no “in the clear” when Trae Young looms.
Their longtime nemesis nearly buried them once again. And this time, the Knicks almost handed it right to him.
After an absurd sequence that saw the Knicks somehow blow a six-point lead against the Hawks with 18 seconds left, Young nailed two free throws to tie the game at 137 apiece with 2.2 seconds left — the first time the Knicks weren’t ahead since it was 8-8 early in the first quarter.
Jalen Brunson’s buzzer-beater attempt missed, and the game went to overtime.
But Young didn’t get the last laugh this time.
Despite scoring six more points in overtime, bringing him to 38 for the game, the Knicks survived with a 149-148 win Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to enter the All-Star break on a high — if also concerning — note.
Brunson drilled a clutch jumper to give the Knicks their one-point lead with 11.1 seconds left in overtime. It was enough — barely.
After Josh Hart hit two free throws to give the Knicks a six-point lead with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks gave up a quick 3-pointer to Georges Niang and Karl-Anthony Towns subsequently turned the ball over to Dyson Daniels on the inbounds.
Towns then fouled Daniels, who made his first free throw. But he missed his second free throw, grabbed his own rebound and dished it to Young, who was fouled by Hart with the Knicks over the limit.
But Wednesday marked the second straight game — both at the Garden — the Knicks have beaten Young and the Hawks after he pretended to roll dice on their logo after Atlanta’s Dec. 11 win.
No dice roll this time. Just one massive scare.
